



















f* ♦' 



I* «J» ^^■i' 



.V . 



^^^ (V ,• o " ' « 



- V ' * 



O M O 



H 



^-, -*«*<>^^c' A 








,<^> _..'.^ <p^ ,0^ oo-'- 









^0 ^^ 










^Cp. ^'i'-' 










^. ^,-^1^^^^ ^<;''f?>J' K'^^^'\<^ 













'^b V^^ "^J^M^n^. '"^ ^■^ oV'^^^^II^'- ^J^ <■*■ 



'. -^--o^ :" 



<. 






















o, ''nrr^^ a 
















NOTES ON THE VISITS 



OF 



merican and British Naval Vessels 
To the Genesee River 



1 809-18 14 



BY 



FRANKLIN HANFORD 

Rear-Admibal, United Statis Navt (Riti«id) 



$ 



ROCHESTER, N. Y, 

THE GINESEE PRESS 
I 9 1 I 



NOTES ON THE VISITS 



OF 



American and British Naval Vessels 
To the Genesee River 



1 809- 18 14 



BY 



FRANKLIN HANFORD 

Rear-Admiral, United States Navy (Retired) 



$ 



ROCHESTER, N. Y. 

THE GENESEE PRESS 

I 9 I I 



^l^D 



^ 



oin 

Author 
JUL 24 I91f 



ATo. o2/ ^ of 300 Copie 

Printed for Private Distribution 



Notes on the Visits of American and British 
Naval Vessels to the Genesee River 

I 809-1 8 14 



It is difficult for the summer resi- 
dents who people the shores of Lake 
Ontario from Nine Mile Point on the 
east to Manitou Beach on the west of 
the Genesee river, or for the holiday 
makers who wander among- the trivial 
or aiTiusing: shows of Ontario Beach 
park at Charlotte to realize that the 
now peaceful waters of 'the beautiful 
lake," as the Iroquois called it, were 
once plowed by hostile fleets. And yet, 
for a period of three years, nearly a 
century ago, during- our war of 1812- 
14 with Great Britain, both American 
and British fleets appeared off the 
Genesee at intervals, and the pioneers 
of Monroe county witnessed naval 
maneuvers, heard the sound of an 
enemy's guns, and actually gathered to 
resist the invasion of their country. 

It is proposed to mention here all the 
authenticated visits of xVmerican and 
British naval vessels to the mouth of 
the Genesee river up to the year 1815. 
While it is generally supposed that no 
men-of-war's men ever entered the 
Genesee in a government craft before 
the year 1812, there was certainly one 
such visit as early as June, 1809, near- 
ly three years before the commence- 
ment of the War of 1812. An enter- 
taining account of that visit will be 
found in J. Penimore Cooper's "Lives 
of Distinguislied American Naval Offi- 
cers," published in 1846, in two vol- 
umes. In the second volume Cooper de- 
votes thirty-three pages to his friend, 
Melancthon Taylor Woolsey, U. s' 
Navy. Following Cooper's account it 
appears that in 1808, our relations with 
Great Britain being strained, Woolsey 
who was then a lieutenant, was select- 
ed by the Navy department to proceed 
to Oswego and superintend the con- 
struction of a brig of sixteen guns for 
service on Lake Ontario, and to com- 
mand the first regular armament ever 
made under the Union on our inland 
^vaters. Woolsey took with him to Os- 
wego two midshipmen, Messrs. Gamble 
md Cooper, the latter being .James 
Looper (whose name was afterwards 
changed to James Fenimore Cooper) 
the celebrated American novelist and 



naval historian. They spent the winter 
at Oswego and in the spring of 1809, 
the brig, named the Oneida, was 
launched and equipped for service. Her 
contractors were Christian Bergh and 
Henry Eckford, both of whom became 
eminent naval constructors. 

Woolsey now decided to take a holi- 
day and get a view of Niagara. Man- 
ning and provisioning the Oneida's 
launch he and Midshipman Cooper 
sailed from Oswego late in June, 1S09. 
Relying upon the boat's sails, only foui 
seamen from the Oneida's crew were 
taken along, and as they soon met 
strong head winds, there was not 
enough force to do much with the oars. 
Three times they beat up to a headland 
called the Devil's Nose [which is in 
the present town of Hamlin, Monroe 
county] before they could pass it. "Four 
nights were passed in the boat, two 
on the beach, and one in a hut on the 
banks of the Genesee, a few miles be- 
low the falls, and of course quite near 
the present site of Rochester." Their 
provisions having failed they were act- 
ually suffering for food. One old sea- 
man of the crew, who had passed forty 
years on the lake, and knew the posi- 
tion of every one of the few dwellings 
near the shore between Oswego and 
Niagara, guided the two officers to 
some log huts where they obtained a 
loaf of bread, two pies, and a gallon 
of milk. Returning to the launch, sail 
was made and the party proceeded, but 
"hunger and head winds again brought 
the adventurers to a stand. A solitary 
hut was known to be at no great dis- 
tance inland from the point where the 
boat now Avas, and again the party 
landed," having been driven to leeward 
of the river. "The boat entered by a 
narrow inlet into a large bay that was 
familiarly called Gerundegutt (Ironde- 
quoil), and was hauled up for the 
night. The whole party bivouacked 
supperless." Next morning, however, 
they found a house, a mile or two in- 
land, and bought a sheep for a half 
eagle. Woolsey contrived to make a 
sort of soup of part of the mutton. 
Having appeased their hunger they 



again set out for the westward, but 
again tlie weatlier was foul and squal- 
ly. In crossing Genesee bay; the boat 
nearly filled and they had to bear up 
again for the river. "Here the party 
passed another night, in a solitary log 
cabin, at, or near the point where the 
steamers and other craft must now 
make their harbor. A little bread was 
got in exchange for some sheep, and 
milk was purchased." In the morning, 
however, they again headed to the 
west and finally got past the Devil's 
Nose and into the Niagara river. "It 
was the Fourth of July, [1S09], and the 
launch entered the river with an Ameri- 
can ensign set. It proceeded to New- 
ark, where the two officers took up 
their quarters for a week. In an hour 
a deputation from Fort Niagara came 
across to inquire who had brought the 
American ensign, for the first time, in 
a man-of-war's boat, into that river. 
On being told, a formal invitation was 
given to join the officers on the other 
side in celebrating the day." 

"Woolsey and his party remained 
some time in and about Niagara. He 
passed up on the upper lake, and paid 
a visit on board the Adams, a brig that 
belonged to the War department. The 
return to Oswego was less difficult, and 
was accomplished in two days. These 
were the first movements by American 
man-of-war's men that ever occurred 
on the great lakes — waters that have 
since become famous by the deeds of 
McDonough, Perry, and Chauncey." 

Woolsey remained on the Lake On- 
tario station until after the close of 
the War of 1S12, but Cooper not long 
after the trip to Niagara returned to 
the Atlantic coast. His winter at Os- 
wego and his trip to Niagara by way of 
"Gcrundegutt," the Genesee river, and 
the Devil's Nose gave him a personal 
knowledge of the inland sea and of 
the wilderness which then surrounded 
it, and to that experience we owe the 
vivid pictures of Lake Ontario drawn 
in his story of "The Pathfinder." 

At the beginning of our second war 
with Clreat Britain, neither party to 
the contest had more than an insig- 
nificant force on Lake Ontario. The 
British had the greater number of ves- 
sels, but they lacked regular and expe- 
rienced officers to command. Hence thts 
American navy under Lieutenant Me- 
lancihon T. Woolsey, of our regular 
service, was able to hold in check thu 
British squadron under the Canadian 
Commodore Earle during 1S12, until 
the arrival of Captain Isaac Chauncey, 
U. S. Navy, in October of that year, 
when he assumed command of our 



forces on the lake and continued in 
command during the rest of the war. 
In May, 1S13, Captain Sir James 
Lucas Yeo, of the Royal Navy, together 
with four captains, eight lieutenants, 
twenty-four midshipmen, and about 450 
picked seamen, arrived on the scene of 
action, sent out by the home govern- 
ment especially for service on the 
lakes, and Sir James continued in com- 
mand of the British naval forces there 
until the close of the war. 

Both Chauncey and Yeo held the act- 
ual rank of captain, but by custom and 
courtesy were called commodore from 
the fact that they had command of 
sciuadrons. 

The headquarters of the Americans 
was at Sacketts Harbor, and of the 
British, at Kingston. Both parties, 
from the beginning, made strenuous ef- 
forts to increase their fleets, especial- 
ly by building vessels at the ports men- 
tioned. The Americans, in 1S12, pur- 
chased a number of small vessels and 
converted them into gunboats. Ship- 
wrights and other mechanics were 
brought from the seaboard by both 
the British and Americans and em- 
ployed constantly at shipbuilding until 
the war closed, by which time both 
fleets had some vessels of considerable 
size, mounting guns ranging from 6- 
pounders to 6S-pounders. 

Among the vessels sold to our gov- 
ernment were several which were en- 
gaged 'n the lake commerce to and 
from the Genesee river. The following 
extract from the "Recollections of 
George C. Latta" in "Early Rochester 
Records," as published in the Roches- 
ter "Post Express" of May 27, 1911, re- 
fers to some of these vessels: "As 
early as 1809 lioswell Lewis «& Co. of 
Ogdensburg built a schooner called the 
Experiment, Captain Holms, and began 
the forwarding business from Genesee 
to Ogdensburg. They afterwards built 
a vessel called the Captain Dickson 
and the schooner called the Genesee 
Packet, Captain Ober Meeyer. These 
vessels continued to do business be- 
tween Ogdensburg and Genesee river 
until the spring of 1812, when war was 
declared between the United States and 
Great Britain, and the vessels were 
then sold to the government and sent 
into service on the lake." 

None of the American or British his- 
tories of naval operations on Lake 
Ontario which I have consulted, make 
any reference to events at or near the 
Genesee during the year 1S12, though 
vessels of both nations were cruising 
on the lake during the latter part of 
that year, and there is good reason to 



believe that vessels of our squadron 
ascended the river as high as Hanford's 
Landing-, not only in 1812, but subse- 
quently, for refuge, for recruits or for 
supplies. But I am able to quote from 
a broadside printed in 1S43, which con- 
tains an address given by Mr. Donald 
McKenzie before the Mumford, N. Y. 
Lyceum in that year. Mr. McKenzie 
was one of the Scotch pioneevs who 
had settled near the Caledonia "Big 
Springs." He said: 

In the latter part of the year 1812, 
being on a visit with my wife at her 
fathei's at the mouth of the river, he 
accompanied us on horseback to the 
residence of my brother-in-law, Abel 
Rowe, on the Kidge Road. The next 
morning, as we were mounting our 
horses to return, a messenger arrived 
with an express, stating that a British 
fleet was approaching the mouth of the 
river, and requesting Captain Rowe to 
call out the militia immediately. Re- 
turning, on our way towards the land- 
ing, we could hear distinctly the report 
of every cannon tired by the enemy. 
After leaving my wife with the familv 
of my worthy friend. Ben.i. Fowle, at 
the landing, we hurried on as fast as 
possible to the mouth of the river. But 
nothing was to be seen of the fleet nor 
of the few families there. We rode 
immediately to my father-in-law's old 
log house, standing then on the verv 
spot where now stands the United States 
Light House, fastened our horses and 
from there, with my brother-in'-law, 
William llencher, jr., went on foot to 
the beacli of the lake. We soon dis- 
covered the fleet sailing towards us. 
from the direction of Braddock's Bay, 
but not anticipating any danger, we 
remained on the spot until it ap- 
Itroached quite near us. We were 
sliortly saluted with a 24-pounder. 
which whistled through the bushes 
near where we stood, and entered the 
bank of the lake in our rear. This shot 
was in rather too close proximity to us 
to be agreeable. I afterwards dug the 
ball out of the bank and used it for a 
number of years to grind indigo with 
in my woolen factory. 

The British squadron then, according 
to Mr. McKenzie, retreated "without 
landing or doing any injury." It was 
probably in command of Commodore 
Rarle. a Canadian oflicer, and composed 
of the Royal George, and a brig, and 
two or three smaller vessels. Mr. Mc- 
Kenzie's visit was probably in Octobei 
or November. 1812, as navigation 
closed by the middle of the latter 
month. I have endeavored to find out 
what became of the British shot, but 
regret to say that all trace of it is lost, 
as I learned from Mr. McKenzie's 
daughter. Miss Elizabeth McKenzie, and 
his nephew. Mr. William S. McKenzie, 
of Caledonia. 

James Fenimore Cooper, in his His- 
tory of the Navy of the United States, 
says that on June 16, 1813, Sir James 



Yeo went off the Genesee with his 
squadron where some provisions were 
seized and carried away. The follow- 
ing official report from Commodore Yeo 
to Mr. John Wilson Croker, Secretary 
of the Admiralty, includes a reference 
to this event. It is given in "A Full 
and Correct Account of the Chief Naval 
Occurrences of the Late War between 
Great Britain and the United States of 
America," by William .James, published 
at London, in 1817: 

H. M. S. Wolf, Kingston, Upper Canada, 



Sir: 



29th June. 181.3. 



I have the nonor to inform you for 
the information of the Lords Com'mis- 
f^Tr.?, ""f K^"" Admiralty, that on the 
3d instant, I sailed with His Majesty's 
S(iuadron under my command from tliis 
port to co-operate with our armv at 
the head of the lake, and annov" the 
enemy by intercepting all supplies go- 
ing to the enemy and therebv oblige 
his squadron to come out for "its pro- 
tection. ^ 

At daylight on the Sth, the enemy's 
camp was discovered close to us at 
Forty-mile creek. It being calm, the 
large ve.ssels could not get in, but the 
Beresford, Captain Spilsburv, the Sir 
Sidney Smith, Lieutenant Majoribanks 
and the gun-boats under the orders of 
Lieutenant Anthony (first of this ship) 
succeeded in getting close under the 
enemy s batteries, and by a sharp and 
well-directed fire, soon obliged him to 
make a precipitate retreat, leaving all 
his camp equipage, provisions, stores 
m,*^" '^hind. which fell into our hands! 
Phe Beresford also captured all his 
batteaux. laden with stores, etc Our 
troops immediately occupied the post 
I then proceeded along to the west- 
ward of the enemy's camp, leaving our 
army in front. On the 13th we cap- 
tured two schooners and some boats 
3oing to the enemy with supplies; by 
them I received information that there 
was a depot of provisions at Genesee 
river. I accordingly proceeded off that 
river, landed some seamen and marines 
of the s(iuadron, and brought off all 
the provisions found in the government 
stores; as also a sloop laden with grain 
for the army. On the 19th I anchored 
off the Great Sodas, landed a part of 
the 1st Regiment Royal Scots and took 
off 600 barrels of flour and pork, which 
had arrived there for their army. 
I have the honor to be, etc.. 

J. L. Yeo, Commodore. 

Nearly all the writers on events con- 
nected with the local history of Mon- 
roe county and Western New York re- 
fer to this incident of the carrying 
away of provisions by Sir .Tames Yeo's 
fleet. A very clear account of the af- 
fair is given by a writer in the Roch- 
ester "Post Express" of May 19, 1S94, as ' 
follows: 

Coming to anchor he sent a party 
ashore for plunder. There was no niili"- 
tary organization at the mouth of the 
river and no opposition was offered. 
The enemy remained over night, keep- 
ing sentries posted, and retired to their 



ships next morning, taking salt, whislvy, 
and provisions from tlie storeliouse of 
Frederick Buslmell. George Latta, who 
was Bushnell's clerk at the time, ob- 
tained a receipt from the British officer 
for these goods. It has been said that 
the British hurriedly boarded their 
Bhips because they heard that an armed 
force was collecting at Hanford's Land- 
ing and intended to move against them. 
Probablv the British remained until 
they had gathered the supplies they 
needed and left at their own conven- 
ience and in accordance with their orig- 
inal plan. At this time the British 
'squadron consisted of the Wolfe, Royal 
George. Moira Melville, Beresford, Sid- 
ney Smith, and one or two gunboats. 

■The Post Express" writer's view of 
the affair (that Commodore Yeo left at 
his own convenience and to carry out his 
original plan), is borne out by the 
British officer's letter ciuoted above. 
And it will be noted that while off the 
Genesee, on this occasion, he had on 
board the vessels of his fleet at least 
a part of the First regiment of Royal 
Scots. It is not probable, therefore, 
that he was driven off by fear of the 
force of iHirriedly gathered militia up 
the river. 

Turner, in his Ilistoiy of the Phelps 
and Gorham'.s Purchase, says, with ref- 
erence to tliis affair of June IG, 181", 
that "the only restraint that was put 
upon a few captured citizens, was the 
preventing their going out to warn the 
inliabitants of the neighborliood of their 
presence," and that a body of aimed 
men that had collected at Hanford's 
Landing "marched down, arriving at 
the Charlotte Landing just as the in- 
vaders were embarking on board their 
boats. Some shots were fired upon 
them, but from too great a distance to 
be made effective." 

The men to whom Turner lefers were 
probably tliose under the command of 
Lieutenant-Colonel Caleb Hopkins. The 
following letter to Hopkins from Ma.ior- 
General Amos Hall, of Ontario county, 
refers to the event under discussion: 

Bloomfield, .fune IGth, 1813 
4 o'clock, P. M. 
Lt. Col. Caleb Hopkins. 

Sir: T this moment received your let- 
ter by Major Norton advising me of 
the landing of the enemy from their 
fleet off tile mouth of the Genesee river. 
Your calling out your Regiment was 
perfectly correct. You will please to 
collect as many men as appearances 
will justify until the enemy's vessels 
leave" the mouth of the river. It can- 
not be expected they will make much 
Slav. Put you will be able to judge of 
their movements by to-morrow morn- 
ing. I sliall expect you will give me 
immediate notice if you think more 
force will be wanted. 

Yours respectfully. 

A. Hall. 



Hopkins at that time held the double 
position of collector of customs and 
inspector of customs at the port of 
Genesee, both commissions having been 
issued by President Madison, but his 
civic duties did not prevent his engag- 
ing in military pursuits, as is shown 
by the above letter. 

The effect of this invasion was to 
spread alarm through the community 
and it was feared that the British 
Commodore might at some subsequent 
day land a large force of troops from 
liis fleet and inarch up the river. Some 
families of settlers at and below the 
falls of the Genesee removed to other 
places. In several instances the wom- 
en and children were sent away while 
the men of the family remained. The 
settlement and development of the Gen- 
esee region were much retarded by the 
War of 1812. 

About August 10-12, 1813, according 
lo Fenimore Cooper's account of Naval 
Operations on Lake Ontario, Commo- 
dore Chauncey, after a running light 
with the British squadron at the west- 
ern end of tlie lake, determined to run 
with his vessels for the Genesee, on 
account of a gale which had sprung up. 
but as the gale increased and two of 
lii.-^ vessels had but a day's provisions 
on board, he stood in for Sacketts' Har- 
bor, where he arrived August 13, 1813. 
The fidlowing is taken from Chauncey's 
oflicial report to the Secretary of the 
Navy, dated on board the U. S. ship Gen- 
eral Pike, 13th August, 1813, at Sack- 
etts' Harbor: 

Sir: I arrived here this day. . . 
The gale increasing very much, and as 
I could not go into Niagara with this 
sliip. I determined to run to Genesee 
Bay, as a shelter for the small vessels, 
and with the expectation of being able 
to obtain provisions for the squadron, 
as we were all nearly out. the Madison 
and Oneida having not a single day's 
on board when we arrived opposite 
Genesee Bay. I found there was every 
prospect of the gale's continuing, and 
if I did. I could run to this place, and 
provision the whole squadron with 
more certainty, and in nearly the same 
time that 1 could at Genesee, admitting 
that I could obtain provisions at that 
place. 

After provisioning liis ships for five 
weeks, Chauncey, according to Cooper, 
"sailed on another cruise the very day 
of his arrival. On the IGth, the squad- 
ron was off the Niagara, and the same 
day the enemy was made, being eight 
sail in all. Some maneuvering to ob- 
tain the wind followed, but it coming 
on to Iilow. the vessels ran into the 
mouth of the (ienesee and anchored. 
The wind, however, freshened so much 
as to compel the whole squadron to 



weigli and bear up, forcing them down 
the lake under easy canvas." The 
American scjuadron on this occasion 
consisted of the Pike, Matlison, Oneida, 
Toinpkins. Conquest, Ontario, Pert, and 
Lady of tlie Lake. As the gale con- 
tinued to increase, Chauncey took hi.? 
vessels to Saclietts' Harbor where they 
arrived on the 19th of August. 1S13. 

Following Cooper's History it ap- 
pears that "on the 11th of September, 
[this was the day after Perry's victory 
on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813,] the 
enemy was becalmed off the Genesee, 
when the American vessels got a breeze 
and ran within gunshot, before the 
English squadron took the wind. A 
running fight, that lasted more than 
three hours, was the result; but the 
enemy escaped in consequence of his 
better sailing, it being out of the pow- 
er of the American commander to close 
with more than two of his vessels, the 
Sylph being totally unfitted for that 
kind of combat. As the Pike succeeded 
in getting several broadsides at the 
enemy, he did not escape without being 
a good deal cut up, having, according 
to his own report, an officer and ten 
men killed and wounded. The Pike wars 
hulled a few times, and other trifling 
injuries were received, though no per- 
son was hurt. Previously to this af- 
fair. Commodore Chauncey had been 
joined by the Fair American and Asp. 
On the 12th. Sir James Yeo ran into 
Amherst bay, where the Americans 
were unable to follow him, on account 
of their ignorance of the shoals. It was 
supposed that the English commodore 
declined engaging on this occasion, in 
consequence of the smoothness of the 
water, it being his policy to bring his 
enemy to action in blowing weather, 
when the American schooners would be 
nearly useless." 

Nearly all writers on the history of 
the United States navy mention this 
skirmish off the Genesee. Willis .1. Ab- 
bott in his "Blue .Jackets of 1S12," says: 
"On the nth of September [1813] the 
enemies met near the mouth of the 
Genesee river and exchanged broad- 
sides. A few of the British vessels 
were hulled, and. without more ado, 
hauled off into the shallow waters of 
Ambert [Amherst?] bay where the 
Americans could not follow them." 

In .John R. Spear's four-volume "His- 
tory of the Navy," he says, referring 
to the operations on Lake Ontario in 
1813: "On the day after Perry's vic- 
tory, the two sciuadrons did have a 
brush at long range in a light breeze. 
It was a good day for the Yankee 
schooners and Sir James, by his own 
confession, sailed away after a few 



shots had been fired. The Americans 
lost nothing. The British lost four 
killed and seven wounded." 

Theodore Roosevelt in his "Naval 
War of 1812," gives a very full discus- 
sion of this event. He says: "On the 
nth of September a partial engage- 
ment, at very long range, in light weath- 
er, occurred near the mouth of the 
Genesee river; the Americans suffered 
no loss whatever, while the British had 
one midshipman and three seainen 
killed and seven wounded, and after- 
ward ran into Ainherst bay." 

The latest American writer on the 
Naval War of 1812 is Captain Alfred 
T. Mahan, who, in his "Sea Power in 
its Relations to the War of 1812" says: 
"On one occasion, off the Genesee, on 
September 11, [1813] a westerly breeze 
carried the United States squadron 
within three-quarters of a mile of the 
enemy, before the latter felt it. A 
cannonade and pursuit of some hours 
followed, but without decisive results." 

William James, the English author 
of "A Full and Correct Account of the 
Chief Naval Occurrences of the Late 
War between Great Britain and the 
U. S. of America," already referred to, 
says of this engagement off the Gene- 
see: "The only shot received by the 
British fleet that wanted a plug, struck 
the Melville, and that so far under the 
water, that Captain Spilsbury had to 
run his guns in on one side, and out 
on the other, to enable him to stop it." 

James also wrote "The Naval His- 
tory of Great Britain," and in the Lon- 
don, 1837, edition of that six-volume 
work, he says: "On the 11th of Sep- 
tember [1813], while the British squa- 
dron lay becalmed off the Genesee river 
the American fleet of eleven sail, by 
the aid of a partial wind, succeeded in 
getting within range of their long 24- 
and 32-pounders, and during five hours 
cannonaded the British who did not fire 
a carionade. and had only six guns 
in all the squadron that could reach 
the enemy. At sunset a breeze sprang 
up from the westward when Sir James 
steered for the American fleet; but the 
American commodore avoided a close 
meeting and thus the affair ended. It 
was so far unfortunate for Sir James 
Yeo that he had a midshipman (Wil- 
liam Ellery) and three seamen killed 
and seven wounded." 

It will be seen that the English au- 
thor's statement that Chauncey avoid- 
ed a close contest is directly contrary 
to Sir James Yeo's own account of the 
affair which is given herewith in that 
officer's official report to Admiral Sir 
John Warren who was then in com- 
mand of the British naval forces on 



the American coast. This report is 
taken from William James's "Naval Oc- 
currences," London. 1817: 

H M's Ship Wolfe, off the False Duck 

Islands, on Lake Ontario, Sept. 

12, 1813. 

Sir: 

I liave the honor to acquaint you 
that H. M.'s squadron under my com- 
mand, being becalmed on Genesee 
river, on the 11th instant, the enemy's 
fleet of eleven sail, having a partial 
wind, succeeded in getting within 
range of their long 24- and ,'52-pound- 
ers; and from their having the wind 
of us, and the dull sailing of some of 
our squadron, I found it impossible to 
bring them to close action. We re- 
mained in this mortifying situation five 
hours, having only six guns in the 
squadron that would reach the enemy; 
(not a carronade being fired); at sun- 
set a breeze sprang up from the west- 
ward, when I steered for the False 
Duck Islands, under which the enemy 
could not keep the weather-gauge, but 
be obliged to meet us on equal term.s. 
This, however, he carefully avoided. 

Although I have to regret the loss of 
Mr. William Kllery. midshipman, and 
three seamen killed, and seven 
wounded, I cannot but conceive it for- 
tunate that none of the squadron have 
received material damage, which must 
have been considerable, had the enemy 
acted with the least spirit, and taken 
advantage of the superiority of position 
thev possessed. 

Inclosed is a list of killed and 
wounded. 

Killed, ?. ; wounded, 7. 

.T. L. Yeo. 

In order to complete the account of 
this skirmish off the Genesee, Com- 
modore Chauncey's official report to the 
Secretary of the Navy is also given. It 
is taken from II. A. Fay's "Collection of 
the Official Accounts, in Detail, of all 
the Battles fought by Sea and Land, 
between the Navy and Army of the 
United States, and the Navy and Army 
of Great Britain, During the years 
1812, 13, 14, & 15," published at New 
York, 1817: 

On board tlie U. S. S. Gen. Pike off Duck 

Island, Sept. 13, 1813. 

Sir^ 

On the 7th, at daylight, the enemy's 
fleet was discovered close in witli the 
Niagara river, wind from the south- 
ward. Made tlie signal, weighed with 
the fleet, (prepared for action) and 
stood out of the river, after him. He 
immediately made all sail to the north- 
ward; we made sail in chase, with our 
heavy schooners in tow — and have con- 
tinued the chase, all round the lake, 
night and day, until yesterday morn- 
ing, when he succeeded in gelling into 
Amherst Bay, which is so little known 
to our pilots and said to be so full of 
shoals, that they are not willing to take 
me in there. I shall, however, (unless 
driven from my station by a gale of 
wind), endeavor to walcli him so close, 
as to prevent his getting out upon (he 
lake. During our long chase, we fre- 
quently got within from one to two 
miles of the enemy; but our heavy-sail- 



ing schooners prevented our closing in 
with him, until the 11th off Genesee 
river; we carried a breeze with us, 
while he lay becalmed, to within about 
three-fourths of a mile of him, wlien 
he tcok the breeze, and we had a run- 
ning fight of three and a half hours; but 
bv his superior sailing, he escaped me, 
and run into Amherst Bay, yesterday 
morning. In the course of our chase, 
on the 11th, I got several broadsides, 
from this ship, upon the enemy, which 
must have done him considerable in- 
jury, as many of the shot were seen to 
strike him, and people were observed, 
over the side, plugging shot-holes; a 
few shot struck our hull, and a little 
rigging was cut. but nothing of im- 
portance — not a man was hurt. 

I was much disappointed, that Sir 
James refused to fight me, as he was 
so much superior in point of force, both 
in guns and men — having upwards of 
20 guns more than we have, and throws 
a greater weight of shot. 

This ship, the Madison, and Sylph, 
have each a schr. constantly in tow; 
yet the others cannot sail as fast as the 
enemv's sciuadron. which gives him de- 
cidedly the advantage, and puts it in 
his power to engage me when and how 
he chooses. 

I have the honor, &c. 

Isaac Chauncey. 

Hon. W. Jones, Sec'y Navy. 

Roosevelt condemns both Sir James 
Yeo and Commodore Chauncey for not 
making the most of the opportunity to 
fight on this occasion, and calls atten- 
tion to the fact that each claimed that 
the other tried to avoid a battle. He 
says, "both sides admit that Yeo got 
the worst of it and ran away, and it 
is only a q.uestion as to whether Chaun- 
cey followed him or not." 

Cooper, whose opinions on our naval 
operations are always worth consider- 
ing, thought that Chauncey behaved 
well and praises his conduct while in 
command of the naval force on Lake 
Ontario; he also praises Yeo's ability 
and energy, but is of the opinion that 
Yeo had orders from higher authority 
to avoid a general contest for the 
supremacy of the lake, unless abso- 
lutely sure of a victory, and that this 
accounts for his not being willing to 
bring on a real battle. 

In this atTair off the Genesee, the 
American had ten vessels as follows: 

CHAUNCEY'S SQUADRON. 
Ships. 
Pike. Tonnage, 875; crew, 300; broad- 
side metal, 360 lbs.; armament, 28 
long 24 -pounders. 

Madison. Tonnage, 593; crew. 200; 
broadside metal, 3G4 lbs.; armament, 24 
short 32s. 

Brig. 

Oneida. Tonnage, 243; crew, TOO: 
broadside metal, 172 lbs.; armament, 10 
short 24s. 

Schooners. 

Sylph. Tonnage, 300; crew, 70; 
broadside metal, 14G lbs.; armament, 4 
l(>ng 32-i)iuinders. and 6 long 6s. 



9 



Conquest. Tonnage, 82; crew, 40; 
broadside metal, 56 lbs.; armament, 1 
long 32-pounder, 1 long 12-pounder and 
4 long 6s. „^ ■ 

Tompkins. Tonnage, 96; crew, 40; 
broadside metal, 62 lbs.; armament, 1 
long :52-pounder, 1 long 12-pounder, 
and 6 long 6s. 

Ontario. Tonnage, 53; crew, 3o, 
broadside metal, 44 lbs.; armament, 1 
long 32-pounder and 1 long 12-pounder. 

Fair American. Tonnage, 53; crew, 
30; broadside metal, 36 lbs.; armament, 
1 long 24-pounder and 1 long 12- 
pounder. „^ , , 

Pert. Tonnage, 50; crew, 25; broad- 
side metal, 24 lbs.; armament, 1 long 
24-pounder. 

Asp. Tonnage, 57; crew, 25; broad- 
side metal, 24 pounds; armament, 1 
long 24-pounder. 

Commodore Yeo's squadron was com- 
posed of six vessels as follows: 
YEO'S SQUADRON. 
Ships. 
Wolfe. Tonnage, 637; crew, 220; 
broadside metal, 392 lbs.; armament, 1 
long 24-pounder, 8 long 18s, 4 short 
68s and 10 short 32s. 

iioval George. Tonnage, 510; crew, 
200; broadside metal, 360 lbs.; arma- 
ment, 3 long 18s, 2 short GSs, and 16 
short 32s. 

Brigs. 

Melville. Tonnage, 279; crew, 100; 
broadside metal, 210 lbs.; armament, 2 
long 18s and 12 short 32s. 

Moira. Tonnage, 262; crew, 100; 
broadside metal. 153 lbs.; armament, 2 
long 9s and 12 short 24s. 

a Schooners. 

Sydney Smith. Tonnage, 216; crew, 
SO; broadside metal, 172 lbs.; arma- 
ment, 2 long 12s and 10 short 32s. 

Beresford. Tonnage, 187; crew, 70; 
broadside metal, 87 lbs.; armament, 1 
long 24-pounder, 1 long 9-pounder, and 
6 short 18s. 

The above tables are taken from 
Roosevelt's "Naval War of 1812" and 
were compiled by him after a careful 
study of the reports of both British 
and American autliorities. 

To recapitulate: Chauncey had ten 
vessels with a total tonnage of 2,402, 
865 men in their crews, and 98 guns 
throwing a broadside of 1,288 lbs. of 
metal. And Yeo had six vessels with a 
total tonnage of 2,091, 770 men in their 
crews, and 92 guns throwing a broad- 
side of 1,374 lbs. of metal. 

Chauncey's squadron was the largest 
and he had the greater number of men 
and guns. Yeo's squadron was much 
more homogeneous and he had a slight 
advantage in the total weight of his 
broadside. If the British commodore 
had really wanted to fight it would 
seem that this was an opportunity not 
to be missed. 

Of the American vessels engaged in 
this affair, the Flagship Pike was com- 
manded by Captain Artliur Sinclair; the 
Madison, by Master Commandant Wil- 



liam M Crane; the Oneida, by Lieu- 
tenant Thomas Brown; the Sylph, by 
Master Commandant Melanctlion T, 
Woolsey; the Conquest by Lieutenant 
John Pettigrew; the Tompkins, by 
Lieutenant William Bolton Finch; the 
Pert, by Lieutenant Samuel W. Brown, 
and the Asp, by Lieutenant Smith. It is 
uncertain as to who commanded the 
Ontario and Fair American. Nor can 
the names of the commanding officers 
of the British ships be given at pres- 
ent with certainty, except that the 
Roj^al George was in command of Cap- 
tain William Howe Mulcaster. 

Wliile the writers on naval affairs 
give considerable space to tliis 11th 
September, 1813, skirmish, few of the 
liistorians of Monroe county and West- 
ern New York give it space. But it 
will be of interest to quote from 
Turner's "Phelps and Gorham's Pur- 
chase" in order to get the point of view 
of onlookers from tiie shore. Turner's 
account is as follows: 

Toward the last of September, of llie 
same year, L1813J both the British and 
American lleets were at the upper end 
of the lake, Commodore Cliauncey mak- 
ing frequent demonstrations to SLr 
James Yeo, of liis readines.s to contend 
for tlie supremacy of llie lake, but the 
latter declining, and gradually making 
liis way down the lake. Arriving off 
tlie mouth of tlie Genesee river the lleet 
was becalmed and lay almost motion- 
less upon the water. The inhabitants 
at Charlotte supposed tlie fleet liad an- 
chored preparatory to another landing, 
expresses were sent into ilie country; 
men armed and unarmed Hocked from 
tlie back-woods settlements, and in a 
few hours a considerable number of 
men collected ready to fight or to run, 
as chances of invasion siiould make it 
expedient. While anxiously watching 
the British fleet, expecting every mo- 
ment to see their boats coming toward 
the shore, a light breeze sprang up, and, 
soon after, the lleet of Commodore 
Chauncey was seen rounding Bluff 
Point. It was a welcome advent, was 
hailed with joyous shouts from tlie 
shore; at a moment when a weak force 
liad supposed themselves about to en- 
gage with a vastly superior one, suc- 
cor liad come — a champion had stepped, 
or rather sailed in, quite equal to the 
task of defence, in fact seeking the 
opportunity that seemed to liave oc- 
curred. Commodore Chauncey brought 
his fleet within a mile from the shore, 
and when it was directly opposite the 
becalmed fleet of the enemy, he opened 
a tremendous fire upon it. At first a 
slieet of fiame arose from tlie American 
fieet, and then a dense cloud of smoke 
that rolled off before a light breeze, 
blowing off shore, as completely shut 
out the British fleet from view as if the 
curtains of night had been suddenly 
drawn; while the American fleet re- 
mained in full view. The fire was re- 
turned, but as the breeze increased 
both moved down the lake, continuing 
to exchange shots until after dark. 
Tha fire upon the British fleet was 
pretty effective, until by its superior 



10 

sailing abilities it had got out of the of the state of excitement which exist- 

reach^of Conimodore Chauncey's giins. ed among- the pioneers of Western New 

Tlie British fleet was a good deal dis- -,_ , . _ ■. x. t-. , ^ • 

abled; and an officer andten men were ^ ^'"'^ '" general and of Rochester in 

either killed or wounded. A vessel of particular, at the close of the year 

the American fleet got a few shots 1813: 
through its hull, but no one was either 

killed or wounded on board of it. Rochester, Sunday Evening, 

„, „ , , ^, ^ ^ 26th December, 1813. 

M e lind no further references to Dear sir' 

events at the mouth of the Genesee dur- you will doubtless have news of the 

ing 1813, except the following from serious affair on our frontiers before 

Cooper and Roosevelt: J'ou r??^'^'*^/^'?i . On Sunday morning, 

„ ^, 4. i, io^T J, TVT the 19th, the British troops and In- 

Cooper says that on the 13th of No- dj^ng crossed the river at the five mile 

vember, 1813, "Commodore Chauncey, meadows; they proceeded to Fort Niag- 

who had now almost an undisturbed '^^'^- entered, and commenced the horrid 

,^«^^ ,^o,-.^„ ^r ti,^ i„i,« , , „(. X ., massacre of the sick and wounded, 

possession of the lake, went to the q^,,, A^.^^ accounts stated that all 

Genesee, where, on the 16th of the that came in their way were butchered 

month, he took on board 1,100 men, be- without regard to age or sex, but it 

loneino- to the armv of Gpneral TTarri- '''^ "o*^ correct. But the distress of the 

iongin« to tne aimy ot General nam- inhabitants whose lot it was to fall 

son. A severe gale came on, by which into their hands is indescribable. Daily 
the vessels were separated, some being are passing here in sleighs and wagons, 
driven as far west as the head of the families deprived of their all. Not a 
, , mi , J. ■ ^ , . , cent of money, no provision, no bed- 
lake. The transports, into which most (ling-; children barefoot, etc., all depend- 
of the small schooners were now con- ing on the charity of the people. The 
verted, having been finally despatched, enemy continued their ravages from 
J, , i ^^ T-" ^ Sunday morning until Monday after- 
the commodore went off Kingston agam noon. . . . Early on Tuesday morn- 
lo occupy the enemy and to cover the ing an express arri^■ed in our village 
pas.sage of the troops. All the trans- relative to the above affair; orders 
. , „, J „i ^■, r,i 4. 1 *^ ..1 were issued by the captains of com- 
ports had arrived on the 21st but the panics, the men were warned out 
.Tulia, which did not get in until a few forthwith and the next morning whole 
days later. The Fair American had companies were on their march. . . . 

e-one ashore nenr thp Nii°-arn rlnrino- t)n Thursday morning an express ar- 

gone asnoie neai tne JNiagara duimg ^,^^.^^ .^^ break of day, that the enemy 

the gale, but was got off, and reached were landing from their boats at Oak 

the harbor fSacketts harbor] on the Orchard Creek about forty miles from 

27th. By this time the navigation of 1}'''^,V-'^' T,'''''' Proceeding this way 

, •' . , desolating the country and it was ex- 

the lake was virtually closed, and it be- pected another party would be in at 

ing too late to attempt any naval the moutli of the Genesee river. All 

operations, while the dutv of transport- ^®''«* alarmed. Some thought best to 

' be on the move; others did not appre- 

ing the troops and stores Iiad been sue- hend danger. The militia were all 

cessfully i)erformed, preparations were called upon to repair to the bridge and 

made to lay the vessels'tip for the win- the mouth of the river; the whole coun- 

„, . ■.-,., , try m confusion. Captain Stone (who 

ter. Thus terminated the naval opera- keeps the tavern on the other side of 

tions on Lake Ontario during the sea- the river) sent in all directions to as- 

son of 1813." semble his company of dragoons (a 

very fine company), sent his children 

Roosevelt's account of this duty of to Bloomfield, and made preparations 

Chauncey's squadron is that after Octo- to move his most valuable effects at 

1 1010 ii-t- „ • 3 ■ T-- „ * short notice. The nu'iiluints went to 

ber, ISlo, leo remained in Kingston. packing goods (of whhh there are four 

blackaded by Chauncey for most of the very full stores here), some running 

time; on November 10th he came out balls. others making cartridges. 1 

■in.i wi« n( nnce phased hnpk into nnrt yoked my oxen, packed up all our bed- 

and was at once chased back into poi t ^^^^^ ^^^^ clothing and moved in\ 

by Chauncey, leaving the latter for the family up to my log house on a back 

rest of the season entirely undisturbed. road about a mile from the bridge on 

Accordingly, Chauncey was able to con- the east side of the river, together with 

, . ' , , . , all mv provisions and cooking utensils 

vert his small schooners into trans- that were of immediate use. Before 

ports. On the 17th these transports night our village was crowded with 

were used to convey 1,100 men of the militia coming in all night and next; 

. „ , TT • ^ 4. but the whole of this jjroved to be 

army of General Harrison from the .^ false alarm; the enemy have never 

mouth of the Genesee to Sacketts Har- been but ten miles this side of Lewis- 

bor. while Chauncey blockaded Yeo in ton. The next week T moved back 

T-. i rr., 1 . ,- i i- again to the \illage, and no\v rest se- 

Kingston. The duty of transporting ^.»,.p_ j ^,,1,,,,. lor this winter. Israel 

troops and stores wont on till tlie 27th, and his family and one other family 

when everything had been accom- remained in the village all night, the 

plished; and a day or two afterward '"'^'St crossed the river. 

n;ivigalion closed." Fear of furtlier appearances of the 

'I'hc following extract from n leKcr British fleet induced the mititary au- 

from Hamlet Scrantom to his father thorities of the state to organize a 

Abraham Scrantom gives a good, idea force to prepare for a possible invasion. 



11 



This force was composed entirely of 
militia, and, in tlie spring- of 1S14, tliere 
was a company of about fifty men 
wliich liad been recruited by Captain 
Isaac W. Stone, stationed eitlier at 
Charlotte or at Rochester. Brigadier- 
General Peter B. Porter had command 
of all the militia in Western New York, 
and in April, 1S14, he had sent to Cap- 
tain Stone from Canandaigua two can- 
non, an eighteen-pounder and a four- 
pounder, the latter of brass, for the de- 
fence of the Genesee river. Elislia Ely, 
in his reminiscences of early days in 
Rochester, printed in 1S4S, in a 
pamphlet entitled "Proceedings at the 
Annual Festivals of the Pioneers of 
Rochester, Held at Blossom Hall, Sep- 
tember 30, 1847, and October 12, 1848," 
gives an amusing account of the ar- 
rival of these guns at Rochester. He 
says: 

I think it was in April, 1814, an 
eighteen-pound cannon and a four- 
pounder, the latter of brass, wei-e sent 
by General P. B. Porter to the care uf 
Captain (afterwards Colonel) Isaac ^V^ 
Stone. It required seventeen yoke of 
oxen to draw the eighteen-pounder 
through from Culvers to this plaee, 
such was the state of the roads. With 
the cannon came powder and ball. We 
soon collected some powder in the vil- 
lage and had a few rounds, very much 
to the amusement of all of us. It 
was suggested that we should see what 
effect a ball would liave. The cannon 
was placed on Main sti'eet at the cor- 
ners near Blossom's hotel. On the rise 
of ground very near tlie residence of 
the lamented General Matthews, a large 
limb about forty feet from the ground 
was cut from a tree, which left a white 
spot for a target. I went rather clan- 
destinely to Captain Stones' barn, got a 
ball and intended getting it into the 
cannon without his noticing it. lie ob- 
served it, however, and said I ought 
not to waste the public property in that 
way. I replied, "Never mind. Captain, 
we will find it again." "Find the 
devil," said he. Enos Stone and Fred- 
erick Ilanford acted as chief engineers, 
and myself as assistant. All things 
being ready, the cannon was fired. The 
ball struck the tree about four feet be- 
low the mark. The top quivered a 
moment and fell. This was our experi- 
ence in , gunnery. The boys soon 
brought us the ball, so that the United 
States lost nothing by the operation. 

The expected British fleet actually 
appeared off the Genesee on the even- 
ing of May 14, 1814, in command of 
Commodore Yeo, and came to anchor. 
Commodore Chauncey's squadron, at 
this time, had not left Sacketts Harbor, 
and, indeed, did not get away from that 
place until July 31st, owing to delays 
in getting guns and stores for his new 
vessels, built during the preceding win- 
ter. Hence Yeo had practically the 
entire command of the lake until after 
midsummer. 



From William .James's "Naval His- 
tory of Great Britain," Vol. VI., from 
Roosevelt's "Naval War of 1812," and 
from an article in the Rochester "Post 
Express" of May 19, 1894, the following 
table, giving the details as to Yeo's 
squadron in May, 1814, is compiled. In 
addition to the vessels given in the 
table, there were a number of smaller 
ones, gunboats, barges, etc.: 

YEO'S SQUADRON. 
Ships. 

Prince Regent, flag ship, a new ves- 
sel. Captain Richard James Lawrence 
O'Connor; tonnage, 1,450; crew, 485; 
broadside metal, 872 pounds; armament, 
32 long 24-pounders; 4 short C8s; 22 
short 32s; total, 58 guns. 

Princess Cnariotie, a new vessel. 
Captain William Howe Mulcaster; ton- 
nage, 1,215; crew, 315; broadside metal, 
ti04 pounds; armament, 20 long 24s, 2 
short 6Ss, 14 short 32s; total, 42 guns. 

Montreal, former name Wolfe, Cap- 
tain Stephen Popham; tonnage, (J37; 
crew, 220; broadside metal, 258 pounds; 
armament, 7 long 24s, 18 long 18s; total, 
25 guns. 

Niagara, former name Royal George, 
Captain Francis Brockell SpilsUury; 
tonnage, 510; crew, 200; broadside 
metal, 332 pounds; armament, 2 long 
12s, 20 short 32s; total, 22 guns. 

Brigs. 
Charwell, former name Moira, Cap- 
tain Alexander Dobbs; tonnage, 27 9; 
crew, 110; broadside metal, 23G pounds; 
armament. 2 long 12s, 14 short 32s; 
total, 16 guns. 

Star, former name Melville, Captain 
Charles Anthony; tonnage, 262; crew, 
110; broadside metal, 236 pounds; arma- 
ment, 2 long 12s, 14 short 32s; total, 16 
guns. 

Nelly, former name Beresford, Lieu- 
tenant Owens; tonnage, 216; crew, 100; 
broadside metal, ISO pounds; armament, 
2 long 12s, 14 short 24s; total, 16 guhs. 

Magnet, former name Sidney Smith, 
Captain Henry Collier; tonnage, 187; 
crew, 80; broadside metal, 156 pounds; 
armament, 2 long 12s, 12 short 24s; 
total, 14 guns. 

Summary. 

Eight vessels; tonnage, 4,756; crews, 
1,620; broadside metal, 2,874 pounds; 
guns, 209. 

This was a powerful force compared 
with the 600 to 800 militia who could 
at most be brought to oppose their 
landing had Commodore Yeo decided to 
take possession of the mouth of tlie 
Genesee river. But it is more than 
probable that, had Yeo attempted to 
send a force into the country and away 
from the range of his naval guns, the 
militia w^ould have been able to prevent 
much progress towards Rochester. 

None of the naval writers concern- 
ing events on Lake Ontario in 1814 
mentions this appearance of Yeo's 
squadron off the Genesee; but all the 
writers on the history of Rochester, of 



12 

Monroe county, or of Western New collected were marched and counter- 
York g-ive it considerable space, for mai-ched, disappearing- in the woods at 

while it was of little mon.ent in con- wlfe,?p°'«n ^''^''^n^inlf !:i'i^' n"''"''^'"^ "^^^^ 

wnere, so as to impress the enemy with 

sidenng the campaig-ns of the year, or the belief that the force collected for 
in its effect on the g-eneral result, it defence, was far greater than it actual- 
was a very important event in our ly was (The circumstances here related 
,„„„, , i . , , , , ., are substantially as mentioned to the 
local history and created great excite- writer by one who was then and is now 
ment all through the Genesee Country, a resident of Rochester). An officer with 
and from Canandaigua to Le Roy and ^ P^§ o^ truce was sent from the Brit- 
T3„+„,.i„ /-^ <■ *. 1- .. . isli fleet. A militia officer marched 
Batavia. One of the earliest accounts ^own, with ten of the most soldier-like 
of the affair is found in the first Roch- men, to receive him on Lighthouse 
ester Directory, published at Roches- Point. These militiamen carried their 

ter in IS^v an.i i« n« follows- ^""^ ^^ nearly upright as might be 

lei in IS- 1, ana is as tollows. consistent with tiieir plan of being 

"On the 14th of May [1S14] Sir James ready for action by keeping hold 

L. Yeo, admiral of the British fleet on of the triggers! The British ofhcer 

Lake Ontario, anchored off the harbor ^^^^ '^ '' },° " I fil ■'''?.• ^e looked "unutterable 
^ ,, ^, ,. ^, . .,, „ things.' "Sir," said he, do you re- 
at the mouth ot the river with five eeive a flag of truce under arms, with 
large and eight small vessels of war; cocked triggers?" "Excuse me, excuse 
when all the male inhabitants of the ^^' Sir: we backwoodsmen are not 
Village, capable of bearing arms, (be- X'^ ^i^^J^eScan'o^^n '^^'^:m^ 
ing 33) turned out with the Militia of ly sought to rectify his error by or- 
the neigliboring towns, to prevent his dering his men to "ground arms!" The 
landing, leaving only two men to take ^Hton was still more astonished, and, 
,, "^ • after delivering a brief message, im- 
the women and children into the woods, mediately departed for the fleet, incii- 
in case he should land and send a de- eating that the ignorance of tactics he 
tachment of troops, as had been threat- '^^^^^ ^yitnessed wa.s all feigned tv.r the 
, , , , , . , occasion, so as to deceive the British 
ened, to burn the bridge across the commodore into a snare! 
river." Shortly afterward, on the same day, 
Henrv O'Reilly, in his "Sketches of another officer came ashore with a flag 
Pr>r,i,t,c( .. •• ,. 1,1; 1 J * 7. 1 . • of truce for a further parley, as the 
Rochestei, published at Itochester in British were evidently too suspicious of 
183S, devotes over two pages lo this stratagem to attempt a hostile landing 
visit of the British squadron, and while '^ there was any possiblity of com- 
his account contains some decided er- P.^-omising for the spoils Oa,ptain Fran- 
. . . v^'c-Ljueu ei pjg Brown was deputed with a guard 
rors. It IS given herewith in full: to receive the last flag of truce. The 
. . British officer looked suspiciously upon 
A serious alarm, attended by some him and upon his guard: and,' after 
amusing conse(iuenL'es, occurred in some conversation, famiiiarlv grasix'd 
May, 1S14 when Sir James Yeo, with a the pantaloons of Captain I?, about the 
neet ot thirteen vessels of various knee, remarking, as he firmly handled 
sizes appeared off the mouth of the it, "Your cloth is too good to be spoiled 
Uenesee, threatening the destruction of bv such a bungling tailor;" alluding to 
the rude improvements in and around the width and clumsv aspect of the gar- 
Rochester. Messengers were despatch- ment. Brown was quick as well as 
ed to arouse the people in the sur- resolute, and rejilied iocoselv that "he 
rounding country for defence against was prevented from dressing fashion- 
the tlireatened attack. There were ably by his haste that morning to sa- 
then but thirty-three people in Roch- lute such distinguished visitors!" The 
ester capable ot bearing arms. This British obviously imagined that Brown 
little band threw up a breastwork was a regular officer of the American 
called I'ort Bender, near the Deep Hoi- army, whose regimentals were masked 
low, beside the Lower Falls, and hur- by clumsy overc'lot hes. The itroposi- 
ried down to the junction of the Gen- tion was then made, that, if the Ameri- 
esee and Lake Ontario, five miles north cans would deliver up the provisions 
ot the present city limits, where the and military stores which might be in 
enemy tlireatened to land, leaving be- and around Rochester or Charlotte, Sir 
hind them two old men, with some James Yeo would spare the settle- 
young lads, to remove the women and ments from destruction. "\ViIl vou 
children into the woods, in case the comply with the offer?" "Blood kiiee- 
British should attempt to land for the dee)) first!" was the emiihatic reply of 
capture of the ijrovisions and destruc- Francis Brown. 

tion of the bridge at Rochester, etc. "SVhile this parley was in progress, 
I'rancis Brown and lOlisha I'My acted as an American officer, with his staff, re- 
captains and Isaac \V. Stone as major. turning from the Niagara frontier, was 
ot the Itocliesler forces, which were accidentally seen passing from on" 
strengthened by the additions that wooded point to another; and this, 
could be made from this thinly settled witli other circumstances, afforded to 
region. Though the equipments and tlie British "connrmation strong" th.'it 
discipline of these troops would not their suspicions were well founded; 
form a brilliant picture for a warlike that there was a considerable American 
eye, their very awkwardness in lliosc army collected; and that the Yankee 
points, coupled as it was with their officers shammed ignorance for the pur- 
sagacity and courage, accomplislied ])ose of entrapping- ashore the Commo- 
more perhaps than could have been ef- dore and his forces! 

fected by a larger force of regular The return of the last flag to the 

troo|)s bedizened with the trai)))iiig-s of fleet was followed by a vigorous at- 

military pomj). Tlie niilit ia t bus hast ily tack in bombs and balls, while the 



13 



compliment was spiritedly returned, not 
without some effect on at least one of 
the vessels, by a rusty old six-pounder, 
which had been furbislied and mount- 
ed on a log- for the imiiortant oc- 
casion. After a few hours spent in this 
unavailinK manner. Admiral Yeo ran 
down to Pulteneyville, about twenty 
miles east of the Genesee river, where, 
on learning how they had been out- 
witted and deterred from landing- by 
such a handful of militia, their morti- 
fication covild scarcely restrain all 
hands from a hearty laugh at the "Yan- 
kee trick." 

O'Reilly's informant as to the events 
he somewhat flippantly describes could 
hardly have been a personal observer 
of them, or he would not have given 
the historian the "Blood knee-deep 
first" story, which is entirely unsub- 
stantiated; nor would he have called 
the eighteen-pounder mounted near the 
mouth of the river, "a rusty old six- 
pounder." 

The cleah-est and best account of this 
visit of Commodore Yeo to the Genesee 
is that given by Elisha Ely in the 
"Proceedings at the Annual Festivals of 
the rioneers of Rochester" pub- 
lished in 1848, already referred to, and 
is here given in full, as he was tin ac- 
tive participant in the "liag of truce' 
incident: 

"It was soon known that the British 
fleet was on our own coast, and that 
it was at Oswego. Captain, now Col- 
onel Stone of Porter's Volunteers, was 
commissioned to raise a regiment of 
dragoons. He had recruited about fifty 
men with whom he went to the mouth 
of the river. He directed the eighteen- 
pounder to be sent there and the four- 
pounder to Deep Hollow Bridge. On the 
Sabbath we threw up a breastwork on 
the south side of the bridge, loosened 
all the jilank which were pinned down, 
and finished our work in the evening 
About sundown on the 14th of May, 
1S14, I received a message from Col- 
onel Stone, saying the British fleet 
were in sight, and requesting me to 
notify the inhabitants; but that we 
need not come until the next morning. 
About 11 o'clock p. m., another mes- 
senger came requesting us to come im- 
mediately. H. Ely and Co. had pre- 
viously received fifty muskets and ,".,000 
fixed ammunition; these Avere distri- 
buted among the inhabitants as far as 
was necessary. Eacli man took twen- 
ty-four rounds of cartridge. At that 
time there were but thirty-two men in 
the place; one was left to cart off the 
women and children if necessary, and 
another declined to go. The cart was 
the only conveyance in the place. About 
2 o'clock in the morning we started. It 
rained fast and was very dark; the 



roads were exceedingly muddy. We 
arrived at the mouth of the river soon 
after daylight in the midst of a fog. 
The lake was perfectly calm, and we 
could distinctly hear the British boats 
rowing about in various directions. An 
old boat was lying near which had bee'n 
used as a lighter. Colonel Stone pro- 
posed to Captain Francis Brown and 
myself to take some men, and see if 
we could not capture some of the Bri- 
tish boats. Six seamen were soon 
found to man the oars, and twelve 
volunteers with muskets were stowed 
out of sight in the bottom of the boat. 
Captain Brown stood upon one thwart 
and myself upon anotlier, and then 
with muffled oars we put to sea. At 
the point a sentry had been placed who 
hailed us. We did not answer and he 
fired. The ball passed between Cap- 
tain Brown and myself and struck the 
water beyond us. We rowed on slowly 
and noiselessly into the lake. When we 
were out a mile or more, a gun was fired 
from shore, and soon another and an- 
other. We lay to conjecturing what it 
could mean. The fog was disappearing 
very rai)idly; we soon could see Colo- 
nel Stone on his white horse, and be- 
yond us the topmasts of the fleet which 
lay at anchor in a line, up and down the 
lake. Directly the fog had entirely dis- 
appeared, and we lay within the range 
of the guns of the whole fleet, seven- 
teen sail in all. We turned and rowed 
slowly towards the shore. Soon a 
twelve-oared barge was in pursuit of 
us, and gained on us very rapidly. We 
feared they might have a swivel on 
board and they were so near us that 
we could distinctly count their oars. 
After a moment's consultation, we con- 
cluded to head our boat for Ironde- 
quoit. The object was to give our IS- 
pounder on shore an opportunity to 
fire upon the pursuing boat. Brown ob- 
served to me, 'Well, Ely. we shall have 
to go to Halifax.' I replied, 'It looks 
very much like it.' Jehiel Barnard, 
now of this place, raised his head, and 
with compressed lips said, 'I hope you 
will let us fight first.' We had not 
gone far towards Irondequoit before 
the British boat stopped. Brown ob- 
served, 'They think there is some trap.' 
We stopped 'rowing; they soon com- 
menced again, and we too. They pulled 
a few strokes and then turned to- 
wards the shipping, and we to the 
mouth of the river. The guns from the 
fleet could have sunk us at any time. 
"About 10 o'clock a flag of truce put 
off from the flagship of the enemy. Col- 
onel Stone asked me whether I was 
used to receiving a flag of truce. The 



14 



answer was, 'No!' Captain Brown was 
asked; the reply the same. Colonel 
Stone then told Brown and myself to 
do the best we could, adding, 'Don't 
let them come into the river — don't let 
them land at all — their feet shall not 
pollute our soil.' Up the lake, a little 
above the mouth of the river, a very 
large tree had fallen into the lake 
where there wa.s sufficient water for 
the boat to lie alongside. We went 
out on the tree and tied ;i white hand- 
kerchief to a stick. The boat came 
alongside; I he oflieer. who was in full 
dress and a splendid looking man, pro- 
posed going on shore. We told him our 
orders were positive; by this time 
twelve armed men made their appear- 
ance on the shore of tlie lake. The of- 
ficer bearing the flag said, 'Is it your 
custom to receive a flag of truce under 
arms?" We told him he must excuse 
us, as we were not soldiers but citi- 
zens; we however requested the men 
to return. He then said he was com- 
manded by his Excellency Sir James 
Yeo, to say that, 'if we would give up 
the public property, private property 
should be respected.' He then produced 
a paper signed by quite a number of 
citizens of Oswego, the contents of 
whicli, as near as I can recollect, were 
that, as the government had left \ 
large quantity of stores and munition.^ 
of war at that place, without adequate 
force to protect it, they would not risk 
their lives and property to defend it. 
It was arranged that Brown should 
stay with the flag officer and I return 
to our commander, Colonel Stone. I 
delivered the message and read the 
paper above alluded to, which the of- 
ficer had handed me with a jiledge to 
return it when read. Colonel Stone 
rose and said. "Go back and tell them 
that tlu- i)ublie i^roperty i.s in the 
hands of those wlio will deft^nd it.' 

"Soon aftei- iho Hag had rctui-ncd to 
the ship a gunboat was seen coming 
from the fleet, towed by four I^oats. 
After a short consultation .Judge Jolin 
Williams was rei|uested to select 
twelve good riflemen and take a pd.si- 
tion under a ridge of gravel thrown up 
by the waves at the i)oint im tht^ east 
side of the river. A small boat was 
sent up to the turn of the rivei-, out of 
sight of the enemy, to ferry the nu'ii 
across. Soon we sa^v them crossing 
the marsh through the tall grass and 
placed in the desired position — all lying 
on the ground, from which they were 
to rise on a given signal from Colonel 
Stone. Brown and myself were to oc- 
cupy our position in the boat. Our 



twelve men were again selected, with 
six sailors to row the boat. The ob- 
ject was to let the gunboat get within 
reach of the riflemen, and then that we 
should go and capture her. The lieu- 
tenant having charge of the cannon 
had positive orders from Colonel Stone 
not to fire until he was directed. By 
this time the gunboat was in thirty or 
forty rods of where we wanted her. 
The boats towing her opened to the 
right and left, and she fired a six- 
pound shot, which fell into the river 
several rods below the storehouses. 
The moment they fired our cannon was 
discharged, and with it went all our 
hopes. Colonel Stone was standing 
within ten feet of the cannon. He 
turned, drew his sword, and I believe 
would have done serious injury had 
not his arm been arrested. The first 
gun from the gunboat was evidently a 
trial shot. She would undoubtedly 
have come a little nearer the sliore 
had we not fired, and if so we should 
have assuredly captured her. She was 
a vessel of from 90 to 100 tons, sloop 
rigged. I hardly linow whether the 
incident is worth relating, but at the 
moment it was extremely exciting, for 
we considered the gunboat already our 
prize. She then fired fifteen or twenty 
sixty-eight pound shots, which did no 
injury except one, which struck one of 
the storehouses. Where they struck 
the ground they turned up a deep fur- 
row, sometimes several rods in length. 
Some of the balls were used in this city 
a long time afterwards in breaking 
stone for buildings. 

"Soon after- this occurrence General 
Porter arrived. About 4 o clock p. m. 
another flag was seen coming from the 
fleet. General I^orter sent Major 
l>arb^■ iN'oon, his aide, to receive it. The 
demand then was that if the property 
was not surr(Midered he would land liis 
army and 100 Indians iuul take it. 
General I'tuler answered that if he 
chose to send his troops and Indians 
asliore, we would take care of them, 
and that if they sent anothei- flag he 
would flre upon it. General I'nitor ap- 
peared to be \ery indignant at the 
Uireat contained in the message from 
the enemy. 

"Perliaps I ought to mention that 
Colonel Hopkins called out his regi- 
ment. Some companies came from 
the west side of the river, and many 
in small parties, so that the second 
daj- at night we had (iOO or SOO men. 
There was plenty of pork, flour, and 
whisky, but nothing else, and -we were 
without utensils for cooking. I well 



15 

recollect Esq. Scrantoni us belonging are now llie northwestern towns of 

^,., „.i,i, „,,. -iv'^. ,,,^..,1 Monroe county, were either there pre- 

to the same mess with me. Ue used ^.j^^,^,^, ^,. .^^ ^^'o^n as the exigency re- 

lo mix Hour and cold water In little (juired. The only fortification at 

cakes and bake them on a common ("liarloltc was a breastwork upon the 

shovel. We toasted our nurk on blulT, near the old hotel, so located as 

"" . ■, , . t-o command the road leading' 'ap f'^J 

slicks over a lire and drank water lor ),ank irom the wharf. it was com- 

coffce. The thought never ot-ciiired [xi.scd of two tiers of sliip timber with 

to any of us belonging to liochester ;' ^l'^"'' I'etwcen the Hers hlled in with 

•^ , , , , , t ,■ , barn manure, 

tliat we could send home and get food. 

••It will be recollected that at ihia Ncitli.T William R Peck in his 

lime the temperance reformation had "Somi-c 'entennial lli.slory of tlie City 

not begun in Western New York. It '>'^ Uo.liesler" (Syracuse, ISSl), or in 

was considered duite unhealthy to '''« '■ontribution to the •'Landmarks of 

drink Genesee water without whisky; Aionroe t/ouiuy" tHoston, IS'JG). nor 

and the salt pork without vegetables -I^'ni'-V Mar.sh Parker in her "Pochesler: 

made the men exceedingly thirsty. -^ «L'">' Historical" (Kochester, 1881), 

The result may readily be conceived. ^^^^ anything authentic to Ely's or 

I saw a captain the third morning Turner's narrative. But the latter 

throw a.sidc his sword and military writers ba.se their accounts either 

coat and tight with one of his own directly or indirectly, it would appear, 

men. It was a well-contested battle. "l'«'> O'lreilly and Turner, quoting 

The captain at length comiuered his li'om both. 

man, which was of course his un- -^'i article in ilie liochcster •'Post l':x- 

doubted right under military disci- I'fess' u( December 18, IN'JT, signed 

pline. The third morning the licet ^'^'- ^'- •"'• 'i"'l dealing with the various 

hoisted sail and stood down the lake. appearances of Commodore Yeo off the 

and we went to our homes." Genesee, gives an interesting and 

From the pami)hlel to which we are pertinent letter from Brigadier-Gen- 

indebted for Mr. Klisha Ely's excellent eral Porter to Governor Tompkins, 

narrative tiuoted above, the following concerning tlie last appearance of the 

paragraph is taken from that part of British ileet. Porter's letter is as fol- 

the proceedings relative to the Festival lows: 
^f 1S47- Canandaigua, May 17, 1814. 

-Mr Uervev Ely who came here in ^'^'^- ' 'eturned yesterday with Major 

MI. iiei\e> J.ii, wno came iicic in ^oon from the mouth of the Genesee 

1813, gave a full account of tlie attack river, where we were called on Friday 

of the British upon the Amej-icun last by information of the approacli of 

works at the mouth of the river, lie the British licet. 

woina rti iiic ^^.^^ saved the town and our credit 

was one of the party who niarche.i lo |,y lalrly outbuUying John iiuU. The 

the defence of the place. As our read- discovery that we had tiooi)s, without 

ers are familiar with this action, we knowing their number, concealed in a 

, ,, .. ,, ravine near the mouth of the river to 

must for want of space omit the par- ^.^,j y,-,- jj^^.j^ retreat in case they en- 

ticulars. .Judge yami)son called ujioii tered it, lt)Ketlier with tlie tone of the 

all who were present at that engage- d<>liancc with whicli we answered their 

,,, ,. , ,, demands (the last answer having been 

meiit to rise. Messrs. Ely, Kempshall. ,,.,Mveyed by our friend Major Noon), 

Scrantoni, amith, Graxes, and Green made tliem think it prudent to be off. 

f Qgg •■ We had. howevt-r, some excellent ofH- 

, " or, . 1 .. , , o ■.i-i..,. II, ,.,,i,ii rers and good men well jireparcd, and 

In 1851, three >eais allei the publi- .^^ ^..^^^^ , , - ^.^^^.,_^^, ,^.^^^ u^{u^r<\ 1 bad no 

cation of the pamplilel coniaining ,i,,ul>t of a result creditable lo the 

Elisha Ely's account of the British state. 

'•flag of truce" incident, Or.-amus Tur- ^Vlun llic enemy loft Genesee they 

" Ktoo<l lo the easlward. and a can- 

ner publishe<l in Kochester liis well n,,iia<liiig lia.s 1 n hear.I in the direc- 

known "History of the Pioneer Settle- tjon of Pu 11 iie>- vi I le, whither I believe 

ment of Plielps & Gorham's Purchase." G.'ncral Swift has proceeded with some 

, , , , .,, volunteers and militia. 

In this work l,e devotes over two ,. ^. ,.,„.^,,. ,.,.ig.-Gen. 

pages to the incident under dis- 
cussion, and his account is e\identli- General roller's letter and Mr. Ely's 

based almost entirely upon lOly's nar- reminiscences uiipear to be the only 

rativc. The only additional informa- first-hand reports by eye-witnesses of 

tion given by Turner is quoted from the locally famous events of May 14- 

page 518 of his work: 16, 1814. 

^^.,, . ,, .. f ,-...,>, .,ir. There has been much discussion as 

In addition to the torce of t aptain , o- t v ^\ ^ ,.r.t ir,„ri •. 

Stone, there was stationed at Charlotte to why Sir James Yeo did not land a 

a volunteer company, under command force and take such suiiplies as he 

of Captain Frederick Kowe; the men wanted from those on hand ai the 

• n^^^;^^y^i;iS^'!^d' Gry^c^;'\nrV^l- mouth of thenver. The probabilities 

onel Atkinson's regiment, from what are that he did not consider the uame 



16 

wcirth the candle," as lie had niurh 
more Impurlaiu work to ilu, eiilier in 
blofkadiiiK' ("uiinaodore C'hauiicoy's 
aiiuadiuii at SarUctlb llarboi-, or I're- 
jiariiiK' to meet him on IIk' lake. At all 
evt'iits lliere i« no IimiIht record of 




to the CJetiesee ri\ei- hy t'liauncey's 
isquadron, jiroeeeded to Halavia. The 
int'ident is rc'poi'teil to the secretary 
of war by General 1/ard in a letter 
dated "Northern Army ] ieadiiuarters, 
Batavia, Seiitember 2i>, 1M4." It ia 




of waKons and horses for tlie trans- 
|(ortalioii of our camp eiiiiipagc and 
pioxi.sion.s, but o\ir appearance being 
une-\i)eeled, and that part of the coun- 
try thinly peopled, it was not until 
the i;itli that we could resume our 
march. I'art of the tent« and stores 
were unavoidably left, to follow as fast 
as means could be procured for tliat 
purpose. 

Through excessively bad roads and 
amidst continual and heavy rains we 
proceeded, the otlit'ers ot every grade, 
^vith very few e.\ce])tiuns, being dis- 
mounted. On the 2(iih, some hours be- 
fore night, the whole of our corps ar- 
rl\ed In good si>irits at this village, and 
with a less proiiortlon of men disabled 
for immediate duty than could undei 
.such circumstances liave been expected. 

General Izard's force marched up the 
West side of the river as far as the 
Kidge road, and then west along that 
road until it struck off to the left for 
Batavia. Meanwhile the American 
fleet returned down the lake to Sack- 
etl's Harbor oi- to blockade the British 
lleet in Kingston. 

So far as available sources of infor- 
mation show this was the last appear- 
ance of a naval force at the mouth of 
the Genesee ri\er during the War of 



89 w 



■..) 






^^ *: 






%* 
■<.» 



f ( 1 



•<^- 



">• 0^ 



^x.. 






W 



^1^ 



M 






<^^ 



o* 



:."' c »." • t 



.^■^ 



C M 



o a 



3^* G ° " " t 



:-•> - n 



A\= 



• « 













V, * o « o ' «^ 






J-?-^ 



cC^^o 














'% \,*^ -••^'". ""''-o^^^''' •' 












































.0^ c ° 1 ^ 









^ o'^ 0, 



iq 



^oV^ 



<^ 



^0 



^*^°<. 






^ 



'•^^ 







4 -v * 






vo> " " " * V 

- V- V 



.^^' \ • 



r.^ o"-, ^-^o 



^,* 'v^ N*" ■^yi^, 



% 



\3 *^Tvi* A ^^ 






.^ .1^^% % 



.^:' 



-i n 











